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Chase sighed, staring into the bathroom mirror at the dried skin care mask spread across his face. He grabbed a washcloth before turning the faucet to soak it in water. A low pressure stream trickled out of the old farmhouse pipes, slowly dampening the cloth. Grandpa Ralph must have been running the dishwasher. Chase tapped his finger against the rim of the sink impatiently.
Along the side of the faucet, a growing puddle began to spread. Great. The sink was leaking. Chase felt something cold come in contact with his bare foot, a different cold from the bathroom tiles, a wet cold. Chase looked down to see a coating of water grow to cover the floor. The sink must've had a major leak.
Chase turned off the faucet. The water kept streaming, like a pressure washer instead of the pathetic dribble from before. He wondered if a pipe burst. Chase tried the knob again, still no luck. He hunched down to look find the water cut-off valves. A trickle of something sparkly dripped from the pipe from where it connected to the wall. Narratonin.
Chase looked down at the glowing teal that was now lapping against his ankles. His brows pinched as he took a few steps back, nearly hitting his head off the porcelain. Narratonin pooled in the sink before it finally over spilled. Chase covered his face as the splash reached him. He trudged as fast as he could through the liquid that was now almost up to his knees.
"DEACON! GRANDPA! We need to get out of here!" Chase screamed. The hallway seemed dark aside from the Narratonin rising up to his waist. The stairs to Deacon's room creaked.
"Deacon, come on! We gotta go get the Keys and get out of here!" Chase looked up the stairwell. Deacon's footsteps squelched against the wooden stairs. Soggy, paper hands held on to the railing. Chase screamed.
Narratonin soaked his vest and coat as Chase began to swim his way to the tower. The water was still too low for him to reach the ladder string. He tried to jump, failing as his wet clothes weighed him down. Chase discarded the ornate coat Silver had designed, hoping the lost resistance would help.
After a bit of struggle, Chase managed to use his bed to lift him up enough to grab the loop attached to the string. The ladder crashed down, splattering Narratonin on the walls. Chase gripped on the wooden frame, using the leverage to pull himself over to the right side of the ladder.
The attic was dark. The sky held no light. Chase could hear a faint sobbing on the table.
"Silver?" The small woman in question looked up from where she sat. Small trails of Narratonin trailed down her cheeks from her eyes.
"We didn't find them. Chase, you promised you would find my family," Silver stated.
"I'm sorry, Sil! I'm trying! I'm sorry I failed you," Chase replied. Silver's broken expression turned more literal as cracks began to form across her face. The Key crumpled into pieces on the table. Chase shrieked.
Bronze and Goldie were not there. Chase looked at the entrance to the attic. The Narratonin was about to spill into the room. Chase went to grab their jar of their Narratonin before opening the window.
Outside of the house was a sea of paper filling up to about two feet below the window. Chase scrambled to reach the top of the tower. His feet stumbled against the shingles. He wasn't sure how long he could hold on.
"You failed me, Charlie," a familiar voice spoke from below him. Out of the sea a figured formed. Mom.
The paper husk resembling Chase's mom crawled up the roof towards the spire the blond was currently using as a lifeline. Tears trickled down his face. His friends and family emerged from the marshy pages, including the Keys. He was surrounded.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I'm sorry! I'm-"
.
.
.
Warmth blanketed him.
.
.
.
Chase's eyes shot open. A gentle weight pressed against his shoulder. Concerned blue eyes gazed into his. Early morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains. Right, he was in a book. Chase must've fallen asleep.
"You were late for your scene," Buddy explained, "Are… are you alright?"
Slightly cold fingers lightly dragged across his forehead, pushing his hair back with them. Buddy repeated the soothing motion, allowing Chase to wake up a bit more.
"I'm okay. Bad dream." Buddy hummed. The boy sitting off to the side of the bed glanced at the window before his eyes returned to meet Chase's. The hand carving through Chase's hair held his bangs back as Buddy planted a hesitant kiss on his forehead.
Chase smiled, trying to blink away the crusty layer around his eye.
"You were crying in your sleep when I came here," Buddy stated, "I tried to wake you."
Chase smiled, leaning up to kiss Buddy's cheek.
"Thanks, Cookieboo!" The blond pulled away and sighed. Buddy's hand was now rubbing against his back in soothing circles.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Buddy asked, moving to massage Chase's shoulders. Chase leaned into the touch, turning to make the angle less awkward for Buddy to reach.
"I don't know. It was kinda just a bad dream, ya know? My house was flooding with Narratonin, and outside was like that Cinderella book we escaped. Everyone was paper, and Silver was sad because I couldn't find her family like I promised." Buddy hummed again in thought.
The Villainess leaned forward, resting his chin on Chase's shoulder. Buddy's arms slinked under Chase's, wrapping him into a hug.
"I guess, I'm just scared that I'll fail everyone again," Chase murmured mostly to himself. Buddy pulled back.
"Chase, look at me." Chase did as he instructed, turning his whole body around so that he was directly facing Buddy.
"I told you this then, and I will tell you it again. You're doing the best you can. You're trying, and that is what matters. Even if things do not go to plan, or unexpected events occur, you tried. Even if you cannot find ou- Silver's family, you still gave her, Bronze, and Goldie a loving home to live in. Besides, it's still possible that you may find more of her siblings… and perhaps a 'Cookieboo' while you're searching."
Buddy squeezed his hand earnestly. Chase lit up.
"You mean it? You'd come with me?" Buddy smiled.
"I want to. There are things I still have to do before that can happen, but maybe someday."
"I'd love to have you! Although, I'm sure my grandpa would probably make you do chores, but could you imagine how fun it would be! We could have sleepovers in each other's rooms! Actually, we would probably have to share until Dorkin leaves for college."
Chase rambled on in much higher spirits. Buddy smiled and listened.
That night, in the real world, Chase had much more hopeful dreams of the future.